Not everyone is able to travel

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine.

Don’t worry, this post won’t attack travellers who have quit their corporate jobs and follow their dreams (and wrote about it). I think it’s amazing that people do that, and I am kind of one of them. I say kind of, because I never really started a corporate career, but that’s another story. Those articles about quitting your job and traveling the world don’t annoy me either. Because it is really relevant and inspiring for a lot of people. There are plenty that work a corporate job and would love to know how to get to the point of following your dreams and start traveling.

The famous quote by Saint Augustine is one I am not very fond of. It’s a quote I see being used by a lot of frequent travellers. To me it basically says that people who don’t travel don’t have an interesting life, and it sounds very judgmental.

I wish travel was for everyone. But it’s just not the case for every single person in this world, and I wish that some people are a bit more aware that there are so many situations that restrict people from chasing their dreams. We should all know that when a person wants to travel but doesn’t, that he/she isn’t automatically unmotivated, lazy or just doesn’t want it badly enough. Plus, not every citizen on Planet Earth has a (corporate) job to quit in the first place.

Not everyone is able to travel

The thing is, a lot of people speak as if everybody can travel, and I especially notice this with fellow travellers. There are so many travel articles out there that have at least the sentence “If I can do it, so can YOU!” followed with something in the lines of “it’s just a matter of wanting it badly enough and working hard for it”. Just stop spending money on unnecessary stuff, work hard and save up every penny. Have the right mindset, focus on your goals. And so on, and so on. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple.

Although for many readers of travel blogs advice of that sort can be very relevant, it’s just not the same for most people in this world. Yes, I do believe that people can do most things in life with the right mindset, but onlyif they have the means for it in the right circumstances.

When you can travel, you are privileged

It’s starting to annoy me how often I say this, but when you can travel, you are privileged. I know this is hard to accept for some, because it sounds as if you haven’t worked hard to get where you are now. Trust me, I am not saying you have been given everything in life, nor that it has come easy. Of course, everybody has a different story. But if you are healthy and hold a passport that opens most borders for you, that is definitely a privilege. And if you have the freedom to decide to leave your home town/country, that also makes you one lucky person. Even if you can get a (shitty) job to save up money, it’s something you should be thankful for.

Many people in this world face restrictions. Some restrictions are more severe than others. I will talk about some restriction people that dream of travelling may face.

Travel restrictions

Passports

It’s very common to come across a German traveller/backpacker/flashpacker. This isn’t so strange, as the Germans hold the world’s strongest passport in the world. This means that they can go to most countries without even having to apply for a visa. Unfortunately not every citizen in the world holds this same privilege.

The other day a friend of mine messaged me to say that she won’t be able to visit me in the Netherlands. She had a Europe trip planned this summer, but her Visa for Italy, one of the destinations on top of her list, was declined (for no apparent reason). Her Indonesian passport won’t take her to the same countries as my Dutch passport. If I want to go to Italy tomorrow, there is no need for me to even get a Visa.

There are also people from countries that have far more passport restrictions, such as people from Afghanistan. They are offered visa-free access to only three countries, and only 20 countries offer them visa on arrival. Of course they can apply for a visa, but they can easily get declined, often without giving a reason at all.

Even worse is the fact that some people don’t even have a passport. That makes it impossible to travel at all.

Saving money

If you have the possibility and ability to save money, that is a privilege. There are people with mental and physical illness that makes it impossible for them to work. With a disability, it’s far more of a challenge to find a job and save up money for that dream trip. Not to mention that it’s harder to travel with a disability.

Another thing to take into account is that in some countries, there simply are no jobs. Think about all those people living in poverty. Or people might not be educated enough for the available jobs, nor have the money to get any education for that matter. The fact that you are educated, gives you so much more possibilities.

Yes, there is such a thing as traveling on a budget. But then you still need some money to start with. There is a lot to take into account, such as transportation and accommodation cost, and well, you need to eat too. It’s a bit hard to stay on a budget without anything to budget.

Health

Some people are too sick to travel. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much money you have, if you are too sick to travel there is no way around it. You may have the right passport, and the right mindset. But health is really a big and important factor with traveling. Whether someone is mentally or physically sick, there are many ways someone’s health can stand in the way.

Other priorities

Next to having a passport, money and health, there are also other factors to take into account. For instance, some people have loved ones to take care of. Think about very sick relatives without anyone else to cater for them. Even if that person has the ability to leave, it often isn’t as simple as that. It’s good to be selfish sometimes, but there are boundaries.

Being a parent also makes it a bit more of a challenge to travel. I know there are plenty of parents that travel with their little ones, even long term, but that doesn’t mean every parent can do this.

Lack of freedom

When I visited the Demilitarised Zone at the North Korean border privilege was just dripping off me. The fact that I was on a tour, with people on their vacation, going close to a place where people can’t even decide anything for themselves made me feel weird.

There are people in this world that almost don’t dare to even think for themselves, let alone travel this world. We take this freedom for granted sometimes.

Follow your dreams if you can

I think it’s great that so many people follow their dreams and travel this world. It’s something I would always support, whether you are a friend or a stranger. Also, I am a travel blogger myself and share articles and photos on my social media channels with lots of inspiration for fellow travellers. But perhaps we all should be a bit more aware that it’s not always that simple. This world can be fully explored by a privileged part of the whole population. Unfortunately there are so many out there that don’t even get this opportunity. Please don’t think you’re better than anyone, because you are well-traveled and others aren’t.

Before I traveled extensively, I also thought that everybody could travel if they really wanted to. Probably because those in my environment, mostly educated people, can travel if they want. One thing traveling taught me is that this definitely is not the case.

Even though I have worked hard to travel, I am so lucky that I could even get a job. To save up money, I lived with my sister and didn’t have to pay any rent. It’s not as if every person has this option. Nobody paid for my travels but me, but there are many more factors than hard work to take into consideration. Never in my life has any Visa been rejected and I never had much trouble to land a job – even though it might not always be the first job I wanted. There were possibilities for me and I took them. Others might not have any chances to take.

Don’t judge the “less travelled”

You can use the quote the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page, but try not to judge people who don’t travel or aren’t as well-travelled as you are. I personally don’t even agree with that quote, as if you stay in one place you can have a fascinating life worth telling about. The most interesting person I ever met was a North Korean defector who has barely traveled in her life.

That being said, of course there are amazing stories in this world of people who come from nothing and made it all work. People who overcome all and never let anything stand in their way. Nothing is impossible, but we should still bear in mind that those are unique stories. Even strong people that are capable of overcoming anything might still not manage to make it work, yet again due to other factors. It’s just the reality.

One impressive story for instance is We Carry Kevan, which also shows the importance of kindness of friends. Do you know any unique travel stories by unusual travellers?

73 comments

Loved reading this post! This has definitely been in my thoughts for quite some time, but I haven’t ever been able to put it down on paper. It is most definitely a privilege to travel. The only bothersome thing to me is when people complain that they can’t travel when you can see evidence in their lives that it is more a matter of priorities (like spending their money on buying other things). But I know plenty of people who simply can’t afford to travel or plenty who prefer not to travel because it’s not their personality, which is perfectly fine too.

I was also going to write a post about how it’s funny that Saint Augustine quote has always been taken out of context. He has never said the world is a book and that you should travel, but he has mentioned similar words about “the book of the world”. It’s about the divisions within the church and how instead of being confused after what you read, you should look at the world – the greater book – to find proof of the bible’s principles / God’s work. If you actually read his works, you will find that he doesn’t really travel and that he would find travel for pleasure to be completely selfish. haha That one is a bit hard to swallow, but it is true. Travel generally is not selfless. 😛

Probably the best article I’ve read from an open minded traveler. Those travel quotes posted all over the internet is not for everyone and for those travelers who keep bragging about it along with their pictures need to open their eyes and not just sight seeing. . For a working class like me who earns just enough to support my family, traveling is not even an option.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about that topic. I didn’t come across any travel blogger writing about this but it is so relevant and true. Traveling is a privilege, a luxury good. Many people in the world, even in the Netherlands, don’t have the money (or have responsibilities) to travel. It is not only about courage. I was working in a hostel in Vietnam with Vietnamese people. What really stayed with me was one of my Vietnamese friends (who is 23) told me that he would love to go to Europe or America and make good money. It hurt him that people of 18 years old are able to travel to Vietnam and he doesn’t have enough money to buy a good phone. Well, anyway, keep on writing 🙂

I really do love the sentiment of this post. And just because I do not travel does not mean I do not want to. But, because of travel blogs are a thing I get to live vicariously through others and see things I would NEVER be able to without them

You’re right, people in the Western world tend to forget that travel for leisure is a privilege. I travelled at a young age, first with my parents, then on my own. I also consider travelling and the discovery of different cultures a sort of duty. Not everyone is interested in travelling, or just see the advantage of cheap holidays in the sun. An interest in travel can be dependent on your background and education, and if you have that, you should embrace it.

I enjoyed your post. I am guilty of having the mindset that “anyone can travel” if they just make it a priority. I guess sometimes I forget that “anyone” is not really anyone. You’re so right, disabilities, finances, and other obligations sometimes take precedence and that’s ok. Not to mention all the legalities that people in other countries face. And additionally, someone from a small African village may never even travel outside of their village in their lifetime, and they might be perfectly ok with that. It doesn’t make them any less of a person. Bravo on this post.

This is a great reminder. My boyfriend and I left our jobs in March to do a 9 month Round the World trip. People at home often tell us how lucky we are, and that used to really bother me because I would think to myself ‘No one gifted me this trip, no one gave me money, no one gave me courage to quit my job, no one planned it for months for me, no one did all the research on visas etc for me, etc etc.’ But the truth is, lots of things fell in place for me to be able to take this trip, for example, my sister is taking care of/living in my house and taking care of my dogs while we are away. Without that, we would not have been able to take this trip. I am definitely lucky and privileged and I realize that all now.

this is so true.. I am from India and my travel visa application for Canada was rejected twice for absurd reasons; like I don’t have much travel experience and I don’t have strong family ties. That was very insulting.
So I focused more on travelling around SE Asia. This I believe now is a possibility that one can travel and grow in his capacity.
Also I think the currency exchange is a major disadvantage for citizens of many countries.
So I agree, willingness is another thing and having favorable conditions is another. The travel blogs look fancy and for travellers who has back up funds and a strong passport.

The BEST sentence I have ever read in any travel blog ever: “It’s hard to stay on a budget without anything to budget.” THIS is exactly my problem. I am able to travel on a budget but I hardly even have enough money to save up to even START the journey. And I DO have a job, but I also have a lot of debts to pay back and that makes saving money quite impossible for me right now. Cause one also has to live and eat.

Still, I love traveling and I am eager to travel the world (I hold the strongest passport after all 😛 ) once I get financially more secured.

Thank you for writing such a thoughtful post. I can’t travel full time because I have lupus, and it breaks my heart. Between the health bills, doctors tests, medications, and photosensitivity, I’m at home far more often than I would like. It really means a lot to me that you recognize this and know what a privilege it is to travel.

Hi Ava, so sorry to hear about your condition. I can only imagine how hard this must be. Good health is something people should be very thankful for, as it makes you capable of so much more. Thanks for your lovely comment and all the best!!

Thanks for this post. I’m also a traveler, but I’m so sick of these snobby “quit your job and go, it’s so easy!” posts. Obviously it’s not always so easy, and depending on where you’re a citizen, not even possible. Thanks for keeping it real!

I LOVE this post, and thank you for writing it. Travel is definitely a privilege-one which I held briefly and lost. It’s a beautiful, amazing, freeing thing to be able to do and I miss it so badly. I am very hurt by people who constantly glorify travel and put down others who don’t travel. I have PTSD and it’s very hard for me to work; I haven’t been able to make my blog profitable so I’m too broke to travel…additionally I have three kids, one of whom has autism so long-term travel would be very very difficult. Even short term is…and I know there are others with far more limitations than me. There’s nothing wrong with people sharing their adventures or showing pride in their happiness, but why put others down too? My lack of traveling has nothing to do with a lack of desire or willpower.

Very interesting post, and well thought out. I am one of those people who want to quit the 9-5 and travel. At this point it’s still a dream, but it’s something I am actively working on. Our trips we take help encourage and keep me motivated. I also feel it is a privilege to travel to be able to see other countries. I just hope for those who can’t travel due to passport restrictions, etc explore as much as they can where they are, or where they can go. It may be disappointing not to go where you really want to go, but how many people don’t explore in their own backyard so to speak. We have been here in CO and still haven’t done 1/2 of the things we want to do and see because we are always going somewhere else, lol. Every one has their own priorities. Mine just happens to be travel! Thank you for a great post.

Thanks Samantha! True there are many things to explore in your own backyard. But I can imagine it can be very frustrating for those people to see some travel bloggers and travellers going everywhere they want to go, and when they have a certain destination they can’t just because of their passport…

I completely agree, I’m lucky to have a strong passport, I’m lucky to have a job that lets me afford to travel, I’m lucky that my circumstances mean I can travel. I’m just lucky full stop. I’m lucky to have the means and the freedom and the ability to make choices when so many people can’t, no matter how much they might want to.

I really enjoyed this and completely agree. I have to be careful to remember others limitations when giving travel advice. I hey so annoyed by bloggers who think luck doesn’t exist in this world. They are offended…as if we are saying they don’t work hard. No, you can work your ass off AND be lucky. Life is a combination of both! Thank you for a thoughtful well written post.

Yes, of course most have worked hard. I completely understand some of the frustration some might feel for being called lucky. I have done some shitty jobs too to save up money for traveling, and I hated it. But I realised then that even though it was a shitty job, how lucky was I to be able to get that job, while others can’t even get work at all. Thanks for your thoughtful comment Cherene!

I think this is really cool. 🙂 It’s very empathetic of you to understand this.

However for somewhat the same reason I don’t see the St. Augustine quote as necessarily judgmental – only factual. Indeed those that do not travel understand only a little of the world. That doesn’t mean their lives aren’t worthwhile or interesting. It just means their world is much more limited.

And this is true. It is why I tell stories, why my friends who can’t travel read them and listen. Why people like to host travellers. Why in times past, travellers of nearly whatever rank are summoned to palaces and questioned for news of faraway lands – and why diplomacy and etiquette were indispensable travel skills back then. It is why I used to translate and re-tell Shakespeare to my friends in uni who can’t cope with the archaic English. Because they know it too. Some of those who can’t travel want to read those pages too – even if only by proxy.

Dear Nuraini. Thank you for your input. I agree, quotes can be interpreted in different ways.

Before I didn’t mind St. Augustine’s quote, but probably the way some people used it, giving it a context I didn’t like. You can use this famous quote in a way to say their lives are enriched by travel. But I hope people do understand that they aren’t better people just by being travellers. EVEN if they are more interesting because of it, they should not judge others for not traveling – either by choice or lack of choice. And not think that someone is not interesting because they don’t explore this world more.

I also want to add that I always really find people’s travel stories very interesting, and that I love telling stories about traveling myself. It’s not that I would like everyone to keep their experiences to themselves just not to offend anyone. Rather that we all respect each others paths in life!

Beautiful article! M Vietnamese passport is really weak as well. Even though Vietnamese people can travel to few South East Asian countries without a visa, but they still may get decline when entering. I’m lucky enough to study abroad, so I can travel more often. However, my family members haven’t been outside of Vietnam, and they are having some of those reasons above. Coming across travelers, I also heard things like “Travel is easy, etc.”, but they don’t appreciate how lucky and privileged they are. Thank you for beautiful article and love to hear your sharing in future posts!

This is such a great post! I think it’s so important to remember that travel is a privilege, and the fact that people like us are able to do it so freely, document it on social media with cameras, phones and laptops is nothing short of privilege. We musn’t that for granted – travel should be a way to spread positivity and use our fortune to help those who aren’t as lucky. Thank you for spreading the message X

This is such a beautiful post and you put your points across so eloquently. Like you I always used to think that it was possible for anyone to travel if travel was their priority but the more I’ve travelled the more I’ve been introduced to people who lead a very different life to me, and fight very different battles than I do. And the more I’ve realised just how privileged I am to have the opportunities I have been given.

A really important conversation. Thank you! Also people give others grief because they can only travel to another country for a long weekend due to work constraints. Travel should not have such strict parameters. Likewise not everyone wants to travel. I had a friend once tell me that he thought the US was so vast and beautiful that he didn’t desire to travel the world. I’m a world traveler but my brother loves his American tribal culture. For some, their world fits in a paper cup. Who are we to judge!

This is a FABULOUS post and such a good reminder of all the different ways in which privilege exists. I think it’s easy for people to just think financial, so love the examples of passport constraints- just because you were born in a different country! or because you’re a caregiver. Very well written- thank you for sharing and for writing it!

Great post. How true that we often forget how privileged we are to be able to travel and take it for granted. And travel doesn’t always equal happiness. I remember during our visit to Indonesia the people there couldn’t imagine why we would travel so far to get there – their happiness came much more from their communities and families… important to remember that traveling is not the answer to everything!

All of this is so true! There are certainly many people out there who dream of travel and will never be able to make it their reality. And there’s also those out there for whom travel will never be a reality, so they can’t even dream. There’s definitely a huge element of privilege to be able to travel and one should try to travel with respect and humility at all times.

I can’t agree enough! I always feel so guilty when I tell people that I quit my job to go travel, because I know I’m holding up a giant sign above my head that says I’M INCREDIBLY PRIVILEGED. But it’s true. It wasn’t skill or hard work that got me here – I mean, a little bit, but no more than the average person. It was LUCK and OPPORTUNITY and PRIVILEGE, most of which was handed to me at birth whether or not I deserved it. So yes, I “saved money” go to follow my dream and travel full-time, but like … I also didn’t have any debt to pay, or other people’s bills to worry about, etc etc. This is so important and I cringe every time I see posts like “you can quit your job and travel too!” Not only can most people just not do that, but it should also be totally OK to make the choice NOT to do so, for perfectly valid reasons – everything from “that’s a financially irresponsible decision” to “that just sounds exhausting,” both of which are totally true. Being a person who travels does not mean anything more than just that: it doesn’t make you better than anyone else.

Thanks Lia! I know what you mean about feeling guilty. We shouldn’t though, I mean, we ARE privileged, but it’s not as if we can help it you know? We should just try to give back a little and try to make this world a safer and fair place… And be thankful that we are able, and should never be snobby about the fact that we travel a lot.

You worded this perfectly. I agree with you so much! I was extremely impressed years ago when I was walking on the Camino de Santiago and saw a couple of people, one of them pushing the other one in the wheelchair all the way, hundreds of km. People can achieve amazing things. However, I´ve also met many people who would benefit a lot more if instead of visiting a new country, would read at least one book 😉

I love this! It’s sometimes easy to forget that there are people in the world who can’t travel, for one reason or another. The fact that some people aren’t able to get visas for no reason at all, breaks my heart. There’s also the point that not everybody has the desire to travel. There are some people who work so hard towards being able to save and buy a house and have kids. And that’s fine too! Whether you decide to travel, have a family, have a super successful corporate career or something totally different, it’s no one else’s business or place to judge! Great post 🙂

Thoughtful post – thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed your realization at the DMZ tour – that going on vacation to a place where people can’t choose things for themselves felt strange. I think that travel has a big role to play in building connections within the world, but it’s certainly not the only way. And you’re right – it’s an incredible privilege!

Thanks Katie. I loved the experience of the DMZ tour and I think it’s an eye opener for many people. But it IS a bit strange isn’t it? To go there in freedom and knowing that North Koreans on the other side can’t decide anything for themselves.

Love this! I couldn’t have said it better myself. I have mentioned a lot of these points “in passing” on my blog but haven’t worked up a way to dedicate a post to it. So thanks, I’ll just share yours :). Safe travels!

I liked the way you have mentioned these points! Trust me, you are right there are so many people having so many reasons on why they cannot travel. I agree with all what you have mentioned. The sad one is not being able to get a visa for absolutely no reason. Most western countries will never realize how difficult it is for a few of us to get a visa to many countries!

This is soooo true! I am an Indonesian and it’s not easy for us to travel the world. I “hacked” it by studying overseas — good thing there are so many scholarships available for third world countries like us! Another thing is that we don’t have such a strong currency. Even though we try to save a lot, it takes us longer to be able to travel with our savings. But yes, I am lucky coz I have that opportunity to travel and yes I agree with you, we are very privileged!

Smart to travel overseas! It can be so challenging for people with certain passports to move and travel to other countries. I never faced this (yet), it’s ridiculous that others do – just because of a passport from another country. Thank you for your comment!

This is so well written and so true! People are often very judgemental and sometimes not on purpose. I hate the memes out there saying stuff like ‘if you stopped buying starbucks coffee everyday for a year you could afford a plane ticket around the world’ or whatever they say… as if that’s everyones problems with not being able to travel, or not wanting to… maybe starbucks makes them happy? maybe they don’t want to save their money for a plane ticket? I think people need to worry about themselves and what makes them happy and not what others are doing or thinking or saying. A lot of travel quotes are highly problematic due to privilege. I know I am privileged. I am not ashamed of it. I do not take it for granted. I know how lucky I am that I have the choice to move from country to country. Right now I am so unhappy living where I am, but I have the choice to move to make myself happy, not everyone does. And I am completely aware of that. A lot of the advice on ‘how you can travel too’ from blogs are so focused on westerners that they don’t take into account the hardships people face outside of the western world, and that it is not as easy as not buying a coffee every day, or quitting your job and leaving. Anyways.. thats my two cents.

Thanks Sara. I notice that the judgemental people often don’t do it on purpose too. It’s because they think everybody wants the same thing in life – such as traveling. The same can be from people who have a home, kids etc. They may be judgmental towards travellers without all of this. We should all respect each other choices!

This is so true! To be honest, we often underestimate what we have in life. Coming from a bit “less-privileged” country, when I hear my German (of course Western Germany) colleagues telling me stories how they eg. traveled the world in 80’s makes me think how life in Poland looked like back then – you couldn’t even get a passport! 🙂 I am so glad that now I have this chance to see the world as well 🙂

I totally agree with you. Travel is a privilege and not everyone has it. Travel makes your life more wholesome but to be able to do that, you have to have certain freedoms and privileged life situations- something that people in the travel community often take for granted.

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